By David Nagel
He may very well be the most diminutive player in the history of the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) but Cora Lynn defender Lachlyn Peluso is a giant when it comes to fronting up week-after-week for his footy club.
Peluso has played 95 games in the WGFNC since the league first began in 2017 – more than any other of the 1024 players to have played in the brief history of the competition.
The Cobra stalwart played all 22 games in 2017 as the Cobras took the long route to that year’s grand final, before missing three of his club’s 20-game season in 2018.
He then played 21 of a possible 22 in 2019, as the Cobras once-again took the long course to the big dance, before playing all 11 games in the Covid-interrupted season of 2021.
Peluso played all 20 games last year, and has pulled on his beloved Cobras colours in all four games this season.
Peluso is just two games clear of his Cobras’ teammate and fellow defender Tim Payne, who sits on 93 games in the WGFNC, while Kooweerup star Nathan Voss is the only other player in the ‘nervous-nineties’…having played 91 games for the Demons.
At the conclusion of round four on Saturday, a total of 103 players had played 50 games or more, with just 16 players having run out for 80 games or plus.
Joining Peluso, Payne and Voss are; 89 Chris Johnson (Cora Lynn) and Bailey Galante (Kooweerup), 88 Billy Thomas (Cora Lynn) and Nathan Muratore (Kooweerup/Kilcunda-Bass), 87 Tim Miller (Kooweerup), 86 Mark Griffin (Phillip Island), 85 Michael Eales (Inverloch-Kongwak), 84 Jeremy Monckton (Cora Lynn), 83 Toby Mahoney (Inverloch-Kongwak), 82 Brendan Kimber (Phillip Island) and Luke Walker (Kooweerup/Warragul Industrials) and 81 Corey Casey and Shem Hawking both from Inverloch-Kongwak.
The next two players on the list due to break into the 80-game club are Kooweerup’s Jason Wells and Nar Nar Goon skipper Trent Armour…currently both on 79 games.
WGFNC MOST GAMES SINCE 2017
80 GAMES PLUS
PLAYER CLUB/S GAMES
Lachlyn Peluso Cora Lynn 95
Tim Payne Cora Lynn 93
Nathan Voss Koo Wee Rup 91
Chris Johnson Cora Lynn 89
Bailey Galante Koo Wee Rup 89
Billy Thomas Cora Lynn 88
Nathan Muratore Kooweerup/Kilcunda Bass 88
Tim Miller Koo Wee Rup 87
Mark Griffin Phillip Island 86
Michael Eales Inverloch Kongwak 85
Jeremy Monckton Cora Lynn 84
Toby Mahoney Inverloch Kongwak 83
Brendan Kimber Phillip Island 82
Luke Walker Kooweerup/Warragul Ind 82
Corey Casey Inverloch Kongwak 81
Shem Hawking Inverloch Kongwak 81
MOST GAMES EACH CLUB
Bunyip Jason Williams 69
Cora Lynn Lachlyn Peluso 95
Dalyston Clay Tait 76
Garfield Daniel Helmore 59
Inverloch-Kongwak Michael Eales 85
Kilcunda-Bass Taylor Gibson 65
Kooweerup Nathan Voss 91
Korumburra-Bena Jye Celebrine 69
Nar Nar Goon Trent Armour 79
Phillip Island Mark Griffin 86
Tooradin-Dalmore Jordan Kelly 54
Julian Suarez 54
Warragul Industrials Shane Brewster 53
